olyfan63 wrote:Standing in Pete and John's shoes, here's how I'd look at it:- We were ONE (KEY) PLAY AWAY from the next round of the playoffs. A sack, a pressured incompletion, stopping a key running play better, etc.- We were ONE PLAY AWAY from NFC West championship and home field advantage.- We might be more than ONE PLAY AWAY from beating SAN FRAN and GREEN BAY in the PLAYOFFS.- The most important KEY PLAYS we need are from our DEFENSIVE LINE, e.g., to pressure and sack Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Kevin Kolb.- We might need better/deeper D-Line play to cope with SF's Colin Kaepernick as a veteran next year, and beat the 49ers when it matters.- With about $8 million (or whatever the exact number is), we can probably get FIVE OR SIX PLAYS PER GAME that we aren't getting now.- We can also upgrade by getting another BIG, FAST, DOMINANT WIDE RECEIVER. That will give us maybe ONE or TWO plays per game we aren't getting now.- A better linebacker or two could give us another THREE or FOUR plays per game we aren't getting now.- We will get THREE or FOUR PLAYS a game better from our more experienced O-LINE, Sweezy better, Carp back and healthy. An upgrade could make that higher. Upgrades take time.- We will get THREE or FOUR PLAYS a game better on D from improvements by Irvin, Wagner, young non-Sherman/Browner DB's (Lane, Guy, Thurmond, etc.)- This is a crap year for QB's in the draft. This is the peak of Flynn's value, this year.- We were OVERALL LUCKY WITH INJURIES this last year. We could lose FIVE to EIGHT PLAYS per game through injuries next year if we aren't as fortunate.- This team needs to upgrade our current talent pool by at least TEN PLAYS PER GAME, just to stay competitive at the same level and have a good shot at being improved.

MATT FLYNN IS GONE.

Here's what I expect PC/JS to DO:- We will trade Flynn and get some value for Flynn. Picks, or a D-lineman, or a WR. Flynn to KC and sign-and-trade Dwayne Bowe could be a possibility, or trade to move up.- PC/JS will try to trade to move up in the draft to grab a stud DL or WR. - We will draft some stud D-Line talent, some DT up-the-middle push, early in our draft. We get a rookie who can pressure. +TWO PLAYS PER GAME.- If we have a chance to draft a Green or Julio Jones type of WR by moving up, we will do that. +ONE PLAY PER GAME.- We will pick a couple linebackers in the early/middle rounds, to replace Leroy Hill & compete with Malcolm Smith. +TWO PLAYS PER GAME.- We will draft a developmental QB who can physically do many of the things Wilson can do, and has good work habits and upside. We lose TEN+ plays per game if he has to play.- We will score another Jason Jones type of player in free agency. With J. Jones in the Atlanta game, never mind losing Clemons, we win. +TWO PLAYS PER GAME.- We will try to draft or sign a DE to hedge against Clemons not coming back 100% or Irvin not developing as an every-down player.- If the talent is there, I wouldn't be surprised if we pick up another OL in the draft or in free agency. Just not Tyler Polumbus.- If the talent is there, a future-star TE wouldn't be a bad early round pick.- I think we look for a mid-late round running back who could be a Terrell Davis or Alfred Morris type of back. (Recall TD was a 5th or 6th rounder)

My guess at what happens off the field:- We trade Flynn to move up in the draft. Jacksonville, KC, someone will give us value for him. We get back his cap space.- In the draft, we pick up a stud inside rush, runstopper DT, whoever PC/JS target, as our #1 pick. (Plan B: stud WR)- In the draft, we pick up DL depth, LB depth, developmental QB, and WR depth.- In free agency, we pick up more DL depth, and maybe more WR depth.

My guess at what happens on the field?- We are less lucky with injuries. We (lose) -FIVE PLAYS per game compared to last year.- We get better pass rush from new D-Line talent. We gain +TWO PLAYS per game over last year, net of Irvin improvement, new talent, etc.- We get better O-Line play just by guys coming back from injury and overall improvement of young talent & meshing better. (Carpenter, Sweezy, Okung) +THREE PLAYS per game.- Wilson is +TWO PLAYS per game better than last year.- Our new DC is -TWO PLAYS per game worse than Gus Bradley was last year.- Our LB corps is +ONE PLAY per game better than last year.- Our secondary is +ONE PLAY per game better than last year.

Outcomes on the field, with our +TWO PLAYS per game team over last year:- We lose to SF and the Lambs on the road. We win all other divison games, but lose one other road game. We go 8-0 at home again. Record: 13-3.- SF is good again. They go 13-3 and wind up in a tie for the division. - Depending on tie-breakers... We're either division champs or a wild card once again.- If we win our division, we run the table at CLink in the playoffs, and on to the Super Bowl, and win that also, beating the Patriots 42-31.If we lose the division tiebreaker to SF...- We win playoffs round 1 at home, win playoffs division round on the road.- We play SF in the NFC championship game.- From here, it gets a little fuzzy. There are so many wildcards. What I'd like to see is that we win an epic game against SF on their field, head to the Super Bowl, and hand Brady and the Patriots yet another Super Bowl defeat.

olyfan63 wrote:Standing in Pete and John's shoes, here's how I'd look at it:- We were ONE (KEY) PLAY AWAY from the next round of the playoffs. A sack, a pressured incompletion, stopping a key running play better, etc....- From here, it gets a little fuzzy. There are so many wildcards. What I'd like to see is that we win an epic game against SF on their field, head to the Super Bowl, and hand Brady and the Patriots yet another Super Bowl defeat.

Hey, have some FUN with it. It's a LONG offseason. I dumped it all out there for fun, before I forget, and to look at later and see what comes true. You got anything better? I't'd be fun to hear your thoughts on what comes next. (or even just what you agree/disagree with in what I said, and why) Sure, I could have stopped at "FLYNN GETS TRADED". Sure, maybe I could start a "Front office moves predictions" thread. One thing about this front office, it's really interesting, and educational, to see how they think, what they believe, and the only thing that truly shows that is what they DO. (We've certainly learned they don't care about what national pundits think, rightly trust their own evaluations first, and it's been SWEET how they've shown us how clueless many of those national pundits are)

Bottom line, FLYNN GETS TRADED for value the team needs, and to free up cap space for value the team needs.

P.S. On the "notebooks" side, I'm only about 4700 posts behind you. Give me another 10 years and you're toast!

P.P.S. Sorry man, gotta run. My Harbaugh notebook is calling. That one's going to take some serious planning to do in the right way. I'm debating between Greed and Pride for him.

Last edited by olyfan63 on Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Steve2222 wrote: "I'm going to call a spade a spade. This is a 9 win team who is going to need luck getting into playoffs."

hawker232 wrote:Anyone ponder about maybe NYJ would be willing to trade Coples for Flynn?

Can't see that happening. It would be too good a trade for US. Coples has shown he can PLAY in the NFL. (So has Flynn) Just don't see the Jets deciding that Flynn is enough of an upgrade over Sanchez to justify giving away a key defensive player. Plus, Rex Ryan is a defense-oriented coach. He's not going to let go of a foundation piece like Coples.I'd love to be wrong about this, though, and see Coples in a Seahawks uniform, for just the cost of Flynn.

I do bet da Jets would offer us Sanchez, straight across, for Flynn. This year, Wilson wasn't very good at butt-fumbles, so Sanchez would have an edge on him in that competition.

Steve2222 wrote: "I'm going to call a spade a spade. This is a 9 win team who is going to need luck getting into playoffs."